He laughs. “You know what, that sounds an awful lot like the spiel the estate agent gave me.”

I shoot him a wary smile. “I can imagine. So, are you having a housewarming?”

“It’s a penthouse apartment, and yes, I’m having a barbecue on the terrace on Sunday. You and your dad are invited. I think Jessie’s bringing Michelle.”

In the back of my mind, I find it odd that he’s going from one room to an entire penthouse all to himself. I mean, why not just get the penthouse in the first place if he could afford it? Perhaps he’s come into some money recently. I glance at my nails. “Well, I’ll have to check my very busy social calendar and get back to you on that one.”

I expect him to find what I’ve said funny, because we both know I spend most of my spare time in the solitary occupation of dressmaking. Although it hasn’t been so solitary since Jay came into my life. Instead, he narrows his eyes and studies me seriously.

“You got a hot date or something? Has Owen called?” The way he says the name is like he’s trying to swallow glass, and admittedly I take a small piece of satisfaction from that.

“No, I don’t have a hot date. And yes, he has called, which surprised me, given how disastrously our second date went, no thanks to you. However, I explained to him that I’m not in the right place for a relationship right now. He was very gracious about it.”

He’s silent, sitting back and folding his arms. I become self-conscious under his intense scrutiny, so I decide to pack up my things for the night and hit the sack.

“Don’t go,” he says, reaching out to grab my wrist when I pass him.

“I’m tired,” I reply, moving on, and his hand falls away as I leave the room.

It’s after midnight, and I still can’t sleep, tossing and turning. I yank off my pyjama pants, feeling too hot. Dad’s loud snoring echoes down the hall from his room, and I envy his slumber. I can hear Jay pacing next door, but unlike how it usually soothes me, now it just irritates the hell out of me.

In the back of my mind, I know it’s not irritation, but heartache.

When he leaves tomorrow, I’m going to miss him like crazy. I want to grab him and hug him so tight, let him know how hard it is for me to let him go.

Soon his pacing slows down, and there’s silence. I hear him flick the light off, hear the sound of his mattress creak as he climbs into bed. The clock on my bedside table ticks loudly in my ears. The more I focus on it, the louder it gets, as though taunting me. Counting down the seconds until Jay’s departure.

If I were brave, I’d sneak into his room right now and give him something to remember me by. In fact, I think I might be feeling a little brave, because my body moves of its own accord. I barely make a sound as I open my door and take the few short steps down the hall to Jay’s room. The door hinges make a tiny noise as I go inside, the room encased in darkness.

Placing my hand on the wall, I feel my way to the foot of his bed. There’s some movement, then Jay whispering, “What are you doing, darlin’?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

I’m on his bed now, tugging the covers down. He clears his throat and puts his hands on my shoulders as though to stop me. As my eyes adjust to the dark, I make out his naked chest, the little trail of hair that leads from his navel down into his boxer shorts. I’m wearing nothing but a T-shirt and cotton pants. Jay’s gaze eats me up in the same way mine is devouring him.

“You shouldn’t,” he murmurs, but his eyes tell me that I should.

Hovering over him on my knees, I lean down and place a soft kiss to his pec. His body shudders at the touch. It’s been a week since we last had contact, and somehow I can tell he’s been craving me just as much as I’ve been craving him, even if he did force himself to stay away for whatever unknown reasons.

I crawl in between his legs, my thighs braced over one of his, as I take his nipple into my mouth. I swirl my tongue around it, wet and hot.

“Fuck,” he swears, his hand going to my forehead and brushing my hair back. I grind myself into his thigh, needy, kissing my way from one nipple to the other, then down his perfect chest and abs. I nuzzle his hipbone when I reach the elastic of his boxer shorts, and his chest rises and falls quickly, his breathing growing frantic.

“What ya doing?” he growls, and the sound pleases me. I like that I’m torturing him.

“Tasting you,” I whisper, my tongue sneaking out to lick his skin. “I’ve missed you so bad.”

His body jerks.

“Yeah, you’d better start tasting real soon, or I’m gonna have to fuck you.”

I moan. His words thrill me. When I tug his shorts down, his gorgeously hard cock springs free. I nuzzle it, and he cups my cheek, his eyes shining down at me. I kiss the tip, and he groans, swears profusely.

“You were put on this earth to torture me, I’m certain of it,” he breathes.

I open my mouth and take in an inch of him. His hand on my cheek grips tight. I move my head down, taking his full length slowly inside. His body becomes a rigid coil, his mouth a fountain of lovely profanities, as I bob up and down, sucking him, flicking my tongue around the seam of his head. He seems to like that one a lot, so I do it a lot.

Gripping his hard thigh with one hand, I cup his balls with the other, and a spurt of salty pre-cum fills my mouth. I increase my speed, and he fumbles for me, his hands reaching down, sliding inside my top to cup my bare breasts.

I moan around his cock when he pinches my nipples, and the most masculine sound erupts from him, half growl, half purr. Pure sex. Hot liquid spurts into my mouth as he comes, and I keep sucking him, draining every last drop.

When he’s done, the rigidity falls away from his body, and he’s spent. The way he gazes down at me, rubbing his thumb over my lips, the adoration beaming out of him, makes feel like I’ve done what I set out to do. He won’t be forgetting this any time soon.

He pulls me up and settles me into the side of his body, my head resting on his chest. I allow my fingers to trace the lines of his tattoos. I study them, feeling like they tell a story, but that story is hidden to me. I wish I could somehow flick a switch and illuminate the words.

His breathing evens out, and I think he might have fallen asleep, but then his hand starts to move down my thigh. With his deft fingers he parts my legs, rubbing along my sex before finding my entrance. He plunges two fingers into me, quick and hard. I whimper.

His mouth goes to my breast, capturing it, his eyes glued to mine. He fucks me with his hand, his thumb pressing down on my clit, making me feel like I’m teetering on the edge. My vision goes hazy with pleasure.

“Yeah, you come for me, darlin’. Wanna see those shakes,” he murmurs, his mouth releasing my nipple as he comes up for air.

It doesn’t take long. With one fierce, hard thrust of his fingers and one deep circle of his thumb on my clit, I fall apart. My orgasm lasts for a long time. I lose count of how many waves go through me. Jay keeps his fingers buried deep inside, now leisurely moving in and out. His mouth hangs open slightly, and I sigh.

“I can’t come again so soon,” I plead with him.

“I’m not trying to make you come. I’m just enjoying the feel of you.”

A minute passes, full of my tiny moans and his growls of approval.

“Why have you been so distant this week?” I ask, hating the needy sound of my words.

“Been trying to stay away from you until all this is over. That incident in the park was too much of a close call, and I can’t put you in danger like that again.”

I gasp as he pulls his fingers out, sliding them along my sex before pulling me close to him, surrounding me with his arms.

“Until what is all over?”

“The court case. Everything.”

Placing a hand on his chest, I draw away from him, startled by what he’s telling me.